Not a detective

Page 134

"Of course, the power of gods is far greater than that of demons, but precisely because of this, they are also subject to greater limitations. The most obvious characteristic is that gods are ethereal beings, without physical form, and cannot be perceived. Even Onmyoji with extremely powerful intuition cannot easily observe the existence of gods. They only exist in the [collective consciousness]."

"People's faith in God shapes God himself and further amplifies God's power, so I say that, like monsters, this is the basic rule."

"This explains why ancient Onmyoji could easily use the secret technique of 'divine descent,' while modern Onmyoji find it difficult. Because people in ancient times had low levels of education and were generally in a stage of 'ignorance' and 'blind faith,' they would easily believe in gods and ghosts. This atmosphere created a powerful mysterious force, which invisibly transformed the world into a state of chaos and suffering. At that time, the gods probably did exist and would respond to the calls and prayers of believers."

"As times progressed, especially as humanity mastered something called 'technology,' continuously breaking through ignorance, developing education, and acquiring knowledge, people's understanding of the world became clearer, which inadvertently reduced the space for the existence of monsters and gods. In this 'godless' era, they no longer possessed the mysterious glory of the past."

"Monsters can only barely survive under the cleansing of us Onmyoji, with the most occasional cases of possession occurring. The same goes for gods; they have become ethereal and elusive beings."

Chizuko stood up from the goldfish scooping stall, walked halfway there, and casually picked up a candied apple from the side.

She took one bite and immediately showed a look of disgust:

"What does this taste like... To classify it as a dessert is an insult to the name 'Apple Candy'."

"There's no ingredient for candied apples on this island. If it's not poisonous, we'll just have to eat it."

Asakawa Riku replied casually that he was more concerned about what had just been said, as this information had given him a lot of inspiration, and he had instantly figured out a lot of things.

"So... the so-called 'Red Ray' is actually a kind of deity?"

"Even a monster can become a god if it is worshipped. The two are essentially the same thing, separated only by a fine line."

Chizuko answered.

Asakawa Riku understood. Her example of "divine intervention" was not about "Snow Child," but rather a metaphor for the state of those "fanatic villagers."

“These villagers have been brainwashed and have a fanatical belief in the red ray, which gives the red ray great power. In turn, the red ray blesses them, and they also become powerful.”

He recalled the villagers who went mad after the ritual, a power that even Asakawa Riku could not withstand.

Perhaps only the "power of the gods" can explain this.

"One more condition needs to be added: [enclosed space]."

Chizuko abandoned the unworthy candied apple and instead picked up a cotton candy from another stall, which was bigger than her face, and licked it little by little.

"Asakawa-san, do you still remember 'Proof of the Devil'?"

"Oh, that theory we talked about at the beginning... the theory that can't prove that demons don't exist."

"Yes, but today I want to talk about another case. There was a case like this around 1950, where a college student, A, lived in Midtown Manhattan. A was living with his lover, B, and had been experiencing hallucinations and delusions, and was diagnosed with mild schizophrenia. At this time, due to the deduction of college credits, A's symptoms worsened, and he claimed that there was a demon in his apartment."

"……demon?"

"Yes, A can even clearly see the demon's appearance. But her lover B has no history of mental illness and initially showed disgust towards A's demonic delusions. But strange things happened; as their cohabitation continued, B also began to claim that she could see demons..."

"Hallucinations are contagious?"

"Not only that, after C, the mother who tried to bring B home, started frequently visiting that apartment, she also began telling people around her that she had seen the devil."

"Could it be that he took some kind of hallucinogenic drug..."

“No. This kind of hallucination contagion is medically known as ‘sensory psychosis.’ The WHO’s diagnostic criteria are that the affected individuals have close relationships with each other and are relatively independent of others.” Chizuko smiled and swallowed the last piece of marshmallow she had licked. “And in mysticism, this is the origin of the concept of ghosts and spirits.”

Asakawa Riku felt a chill run down his spine.

He couldn't imagine that this girl, who would become the "goddess" in the future, would utter such blasphemous words.

Her explanation of "sensory psychosis" seemed to bring him to the core of the concept of "religion".

Therefore, not only monsters, but even gods are products shaped by human consciousness?

"So... all the villagers trapped on the island fell into some kind of collective illusion, and their faith created a god?"

"Yes, the development of modern technology and people's rational understanding will weaken the power of the mystical side. Just like B mentioned earlier, after being sent to a mental hospital for a week of treatment, he stopped having hallucinations. This type of hallucination will naturally disappear as long as one stays away from the source of pollution and maintains moderate communication with others. Humans cannot live apart from society."

Chizuko nodded:

"But this deserted island became the perfect prison. The villagers here have no contact with the outside world and maintain a rather primitive village structure. The de facto bishop serves as the village chief, and every villager has the most loyal faith in Lord Red Ray. On this closed stage, there will be no external factors to interfere, nor will they expose the lies behind the magic. Therefore, Red Ray's power can brew, ferment, and expand without limit. It wouldn't be surprising if this kind of divine power from the Age of Gods could cause the great miracle of [time reversal]. As for why these students were kidnapped, I think it's probably because some people want to use this opportunity to create a small 'experimental site'."

...Another experiment.

When Asakawa Riku heard this word, his eyes darkened.

He thought of the Dragon Palace and Ibuki Ren.

Regardless of whether the mastermind behind this incident is related to the Dongyun family, he still feels the same hatred for those who arbitrarily use human lives for experiments.

The fact that these experimental subjects were his classmates and teachers made it even more intolerable.

Summer of the Crimson Ray: Chapter Thirty-Eight - Wanderers Chasing Illusions

They chatted for a long time without realizing it, strolling around like an ordinary couple in this eerie festival.

Chizuko, wearing wooden clogs and a yukata that accentuated her delicate and petite figure, had an innocent smile that betrayed no hint of the "wolf" lurking behind her. At this moment, she seemed like an ordinary girl, enjoying the festivities of the festival, dragging Asakawa Riku to all the stalls and sampling all the snacks and delicacies, all while spouting grand words about "gods."

Asakawa Riku held her hand, and their height difference made them look like a father and daughter. If it weren't for their age difference, he would have felt a strange sense of guilt.

"Come quick, come quick, I want to play that—"

A red thread tightly connects their hands, and even though they are holding prosthetics, they can still feel warmth.

Asakawa Riku felt a long-lost sense of peace. Being with her, even when facing such a desperate and terrifying enemy, he could calm down and enjoy the joy of the moment.

Chizuko's figure seemed to gradually melt into the night, blending into the surrounding red light.

As they laughed, talked, and strolled around, time ticked by, and soon the final moment arrived.

"Even though I've devoured everything, I still feel hungry."

As the atmosphere of the festival reached its climax, village chief Kato Mio led a group of elders up the steps and began chanting in front of everyone.

All the villagers stopped what they were doing and looked over in unison.

"The gap is only wide enough for one person to pass through, while you are soaring through the air."

The plot was exactly the same as in the first cycle. The villagers and elders began to sing together, creating a huge, resonant melody that echoed continuously above the village.

Their movements became incredibly synchronized and bizarre; they began to lie prone on the ground, displaying all sorts of contorted postures.

Asakawa Riku watched all this unfold, but was powerless to stop it.

—Yes, the ceremony has begun.

"Senior, you'd better have some way to break this deadlock, otherwise we're doomed this time."

Asakawa Riku gripped Chizuko's hand tightly. He saw that the enthusiastic villagers had once again gathered around.

Yes, once again, he was labeled a "blasphemous outsider" by the village chief, and the villagers' fanatical killing intent and aggression were once again ignited.

The crimson in their eyes was exceptionally clear, and a terrifying power struck once again.

But to everyone's surprise, Chizuko calmly uttered something that made everyone lose their composure:

"What could I possibly do..."

"Huh? What do we do then—"

Asakawa Riku asked in surprise, but before he could react, Chizuko's body stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

With arms outstretched, as if to embrace.

"Asakawa-kun, you should have known this already."

The harpoon, piercing the wind, pierced her chest.

No, to be precise, it wasn't a piercing, because there was no wound or gushing blood. It simply passed through her petite body, as if it were on a completely different level.

Instead, it clipped through the past—

"Actually, I'm not here. The me you're seeing now is just a Chizuko you've imagined, just like Hoshimi Kohana last time."

Chizuko laughed. She wasn't attacked by the harpoon at all; instead, the harpoon passed right through and pierced Asakawa Riku's body.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through him, and Chizuko's body became blurry again.

“…Is that really the case?”

Riku Asakawa smiled bitterly.

Indeed, there wasn't much surprise on his face; perhaps he had already realized it but was unwilling to admit it.

In this cycle, Hoshino disappeared, and in her place appeared Chizuko in the same spot.

Her appearance was illogical and illogical. Even if the red thread really existed, it couldn't possibly have allowed her to suddenly teleport across the ocean to this place; that's unrealistic.

Moreover, she couldn't possibly read Asakawa Riku's memories and know about the time loop, precisely because this "Chizuko" was also part of his thoughts.

When "Chizuko" was in the village, she never interacted with the other villagers. She was just a virtual existence, like someone who suddenly changed from a uniform to a yukata.

Playing the games at those stalls and buying snacks to try were all done by Asakawa Riku alone; he was just talking to himself...

"This island is too eerie... or has my brain really gone mad?"

Until just now, Asakawa Riku still firmly believed in Chizuko's existence; he could even feel the touch of holding her hand.

But now that the lie has been exposed, even if the two embrace tightly, it will only be a fleeting illusion.

"Maybe you missed me so much that you couldn't stand it anymore... so you created my existence?"

This guy is still making carefree jokes, I can't stand it.

Despite this, he held the girl tightly in his arms, even though Chizuko didn't actually need protection, and he still endured the frenzied attacks from the fanatical villagers outside.

His back, arms, legs, and feet were all slashed open, blood flowing freely, as the harpoon continued to pierce through his body.

This time, Asakawa Riku neither broke through the encirclement and fought, nor did he run away. He simply stood there and silently accepted his fate.

Asakawa Riku spoke calmly to this non-existent girl:

"Senior, there's still something I don't understand. Since you're a being I've created, you shouldn't know things I don't know either. So why are you able to tell me so much about [divine descent] and [gods]?"

"Asakawa-kun, actually, you've read all of this yourself. In fact, you're the one who's really thinking about it."

"How could I possibly know this knowledge..."

"That's where you're wrong, Asakawa-kun. You habitually call yourself a 'fighting type' instead of a 'thinking type,' and you're used to solving problems with your fists. You always say you're not good at thinking and reasoning, so you've created this image of me, thinking that 'with Chizuko-senpai's knowledge, she can definitely find out the truth about this island'..."

At this point, Chizuko gently stroked Asakawa Rikuro's bloodshot cheek with her other hand.

This was the first time Asakawa Riku had ever seen such a gentle look in her eyes, and it almost felt unreal.

"But, Asakawa-kun, don't underestimate yourself. You're actually very smart, aren't you? You found out the truth about the island yourself, you just don't trust yourself."

"You're the most talented junior in the mystery club! You can hold your head high and proudly announce your deductions—"

Upon hearing this, Asakawa Riku finally smiled:

"What are you saying, senior? You only have me as your junior—"

His words came to an abrupt end, stopping there.

Summer of the Crimson Ray: Chapter Thirty-Nine - The Final Cycle

I woke up again.

The fifth cycle.

Once you get used to it, it becomes easy. This time, Asakawa Riku didn't have a violent reaction; he just swayed for a moment before regaining his balance.

He was attacked and killed by fanatical villagers at the Red Ray Festival, which triggered a time reversal, causing him to be reborn.

Although it's easy to say, the feeling of death is truly unpleasant, and the pain is especially vivid. He gradually began to understand the cruelty of Shinonome Suetsuki's ability to "die and be resurrected".

No wonder her medicine also contains painkillers; this feeling can indeed drive a person crazy.

"This time, the starting point is—"

Asakawa Riku took a few breaths to calm down. He was about to observe the situation, but immediately withdrew his head.

Yes, he was standing on the edge of the village.

The sun was setting in the west, and the warm glow of the sunset enveloped everything around, creating an ambiguous atmosphere, while the villagers busily prepared their stalls for the festival.

The starting point of this rebirth is [June 14th, dusk]. Last time, he and the imagined "Chizuko-senpai" were about to go to the village to stroll and play with her.

Ultimately, why bother with leisurely strolls and play?

Since she's just a figment of my imagination, why do something so pointless and impulsive? Just hide away; you could at least have a few more conversations.

Perhaps they can set sail again, escape back to Tokyo, and find another way to break the deadlock.

Yet they still chose to participate in the festival... knowing full well that it was a dead end.